


Everything She Thought It Would Be

by TheRedWizzard



Category: RWBY
Genre: 9000+ words, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anorexia, Brief Lime Scene, Character Study, Dating, Established Relationship, F/M, Inspired by Two Episodes of Frasier, NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENED, Pyrrha is a Little OOC, Relationship Issues, Ren Would Make a Great Couples Counselor, Romance, Specifically "Hungry Heart" and "Daphne Returns", Taiyang Means Well but He Has the Big Dum™
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:22:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27685528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedWizzard/pseuds/TheRedWizzard
Summary: Pyrrha Nikos is experiencing a dream come true; she and Jaune are finally dating, and everything is as she thought it would be! At least... from her perspective. In truth, their relationship isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and it might actually fall apart if nothing is done.Angsty Arkos, because your suffering is my nourishment. Character Study.
Relationships: Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos
Comments: 8
Kudos: 18





	Everything She Thought It Would Be

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ChrisRainicorn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChrisRainicorn/gifts).



> I've been feeling down lately, so I thought I'd write some Arkos to cheer myself up. It helped a little, but not by much, so I thought I'd surprise ChrisRainicorn by gifting this fic to her. Hopefully, I'll feel better after that.

If there was one thing Pyrrha Nikos believed in more than anything, it was that Jaune Arc had abs she could lick for hours.

But perhaps, more importantly, she firmly believed that patience was a virtue. That waiting for the perfect opportunity to arrive organically was better than trying to manufacture an ideal solution she lacked. After all, she was a four-time tournament champion; she hadn't earned that title by giving into what felt good at the moment. And no moment in her life had proved that philosophy to her more than when Jaune confessed he was in love with her after three years at Beacon Academy.

His confession was everything she thought it would be; shy, a little awkward, and blushing a shade of red brighter than her hair. The words he used were everything she thought it would be; praising her for being the first to believe in his talents and help him attain his dreams. Even the scenario was everything she thought it would be, on the roof after an intense training session, where the fruits of his training allowed him to win his first match against her.

And the kiss. Oh, gods, the kiss! It was everything she thought it would be, creating a bolt of lightning in her skull, running down her spine, and settling comfortably in the pit of her stomach. His strong arms encircled her waist, and her fingers gently gripped his blonde locks, deepening the kiss.

Their teammates were nothing but supportive when they told them the good news that evening. Ren smiled and placed a supporting hand on Jaune's shoulder, wishing him and Pyrrha all the happiness they could want. Nora's squee was so high-pitched that Pyrrha was secretly amazed that the windows didn't shatter, though it did irritate Blake and Velvet like nothing else.

When it was time to go to bed, Pyrrha surprised Jaune by climbing into his bed with him before explaining that she just wanted to cuddle. As much as she loved the idea of consummating their new relationship, it was simply too early for her to want to lose her virginity. After all, she waited three years for him to fall in love with her; she could wait a little while longer, and she told him as much.

"Wait, what?!" was Jaune's surprised reaction. "You... you've been in love with me for three years?"

Pyrrha hummed contentedly into his chest. "I know that's a long time to carry a torch, but I loved you so much that it was worth it if there was even a chance we could be together."

"W-Wow, really?"

"Of course!" she beamed. "You practically saved my life!"

Jaune blushed and found himself unable to meet Pyrrha's gaze. "Well, uh, let's not oversell it or anything."

"I'm not exaggerating," she took a deep breath. "I told you before how everyone in my life treated me like I was out of their league. I also told you how awful it was, but not how much. It was like I was trapped in a pit, and no one could hear me no matter how loud I screamed. There were times where I'd spend my whole day in my room crying because of how lonely I was."

She gently caressed his cheek with an open palm. "But then, I met you. You were willing to talk to me, be friends with me, treat me like a person, not a celebrity, or a trophy. That single act of addressing me so casually opened the doors to a chance to have real friends. I never imagined that having people I could talk to and spend time with would feel so freeing. You gave me so much hope that I could be happy, have friends, even find love. You're everything I ever wanted in life!"

Her lips pressed into his cheek, peppering his face with kisses. "You're my lifeline," she professed between kisses, "my savior, my wonderful knight in shining armor!" Her lips found his own, and another wave of bliss washed over her heart and soul. She let herself get lost in the delicate sensation, moaning gently as her tongue wrestled with his.

Unfortunately, she was so distracted that she failed to notice that Jaune didn't seem as passionate about kissing her as he did a moment ago...

Pyrrha broke the kiss and smiled at Jaune before resting her head on his chest. "Jaune?" she asked softly, "would it be alright if I stayed in bed with you?"

"Hm? Oh, uh, sure."

Like before, Pyrrha didn't notice the lack of enthusiasm in his voice, the tense way he held her in his arms, or the pointed look of worry on his face...

* * *

_ Two months later... _

* * *

It was extremely rare to find students in Beacon's cafeteria who would have a subdued lunch with little conversation. Whether it was a new technique developed, complaining about test scores, or just mindless chatter for the sake of making small talk, groups of students who sat together in silence were sporadic at best. However, today was different; Team RWBY, along with Ren and Nora, had tremendous difficulty looking at their comrade's sorry state in front of them.

Jaune Arc sat at the table with little more than a thin slice of toast on his tray, looking extremely gaunt. He had lost an alarming amount of weight, well north of fifty pounds by Weiss' estimate, and it didn't look like that would stop any time soon. His Beacon uniform sagged all around him, making him look like someone was wearing a latex suit several sizes too big for them. He nibbled lazily on his lunch (such as it was) before leaving it half-eaten on his tray.

"I think I'm good for lunch," Jaune exclaimed as he stretched his arms over his head.

"Are you sure?" asked Ruby. "Don't we have combat training after this? You should keep your strength up."

"Thanks," he said, getting up to clear his tray, "but if I eat too much now, I'm not going to want dinner later."

"Right," scoffed Weiss once Jaune was out of earshot, "you wouldn't want to spoil your cup of clear broth."

"No," sighed Nora, uncharacteristically, "he already had his  _ heavy meal _ for breakfast."

"I'm honestly starting to get worried about him," sighed Blake.

"Although, I'm sure a bunch of cows in a slaughterhouse are celebrating like Dustmas came early this year," was Yang's sarcastic reply.

While Yang took the resulting glares in stride, Pyrrha returned from the food selection and sat with them.

"Hello again!" she greeted as she showed off a treat she selected. "Did you see the sugar cookies they had for Halloween? Look!" and she showed a cookie covered in sprinkles in the shape of a little boney man. "They're skeletons!" she exclaimed.

"Well, we knew they weren't for us..." Yang muttered.

"Yang!" Blake whispered harshly.

Ren clasped his fingers together, having come to a decision. Despite the dramatic weight loss, Pyrrha hadn't spoken up about Jaune's condition, either to him or her friends. It was impossible to imagine that she didn't care about Jaune's health, so the only logical conclusion was that Pyrrha was scared for him but was too frightened to bring it up. All she needed was a little push to open up about her fears by tactfully breaching the topic.

"Um, Pyrrha?" he asked. "This might be a sensitive subject, but have you noticed anything..." he fumbled for the right word, " _ different _ about Jaune?"

Pyrrha tapped her finger to her chin in thought. "Well, he's certainly happier, as am I."

Ren furrowed his brow. Perhaps if he probed a little more...

"Well, that's... nice to hear, but I meant more in a...  _ physical  _ way."

She blinked. "Are you talking about how he trimmed his bangs? That was almost a week ago; you're just noticing now?"

Ren was starting to get a little frustrated; how was it this difficult to get Pyrrha to talk about this? Swallowing his irritation as much as he could, he decided to be direct.

"Pyrrha, I'm talking about his  _ size _ ." It was as blunt as he could make it without saying something rude.

"Oh, that," replied Pyrrha. "I kept telling him there's no reason to be self-conscious about our height differences, but he went and bought platform shoes anyway. Honestly, I'm not even really taller than him; my boots just add an extra three inches, is all."

Ren stared in a mix of confusion and disbelief. It was one thing to be scared and upset about what was happening to Jaune, but refusing to even talk about it? That didn't sound like Pyrrha at all! Even if it was a touchy subject, it usually wasn't this hard to get her to talk about Jaune. It was almost as if-

_ 'As if Pyrrha doesn't even realize anything's wrong...' _ "Pyrrha?" Ren asked in a tone of worry. "Do... do you really not see it?"

She arched an eyebrow in confusion. "See what? I don't-"

_ "JAUNE IS A FREAKING SKELETON!" _ shouted Nora through a megaphone she acquired from nowhere. _ "IF HE LOSES ANY MORE WEIGHT, HE'LL BE ABLE TO WIPE HIS ASS WITH DENTAL FLOSS!" _

"Nora!" shouted Ren, "you can't just-!"

"Oh, stop. I kept my mouth shut around Jaune for three years; I'm not playing that game again with Pyrrha!"

Weiss cleared her throat. "If I could be a bit more tactful..." she glared at Nora, "and  _ thank you _ for setting the bar so low," she turned back to Pyrrha, "Jaune has lost sixty, maybe even seventy pounds in the last two months! Pyrrha, no matter how you look at it, that's just not right!"

Pyrrha fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Nonsense, he's as sturdy as he ever was."

All eyes went to Jaune at the food selection in time for a pitiful sight. While placing his tray in a stack with the others, he accidentally got his hand stuck between two trays. That wouldn't have been a problem, except that he couldn't pull his hand away, as if he were trapped in a vice. That was when Velvet Scarlatina, oblivious to Jaune's plight, picked up the top tray, suddenly freeing Jaune and sending him crashing down to the floor.

Even without looking, Pyrrha felt her friend's gazes on her. "Perhaps... he has gotten a little  _ thinner  _ recently, but I love him no matter what his size is!"

"But, Pyrrha-!" Ruby began.

Suddenly, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. "Come on, everyone," said Pyrrha as she cleared her tray, "let's go to combat practice."

If not for what happened next, that would have been the last time Pyrrha gave any thought about Jaune's severe weight loss.

Jaune came up behind her with a smile on his face. "Hey, Pyrrha!"

She smiled back. "Hello again!" and she placed a gentle peck on his lips, which he graciously returned.

"Want to go into town later?" he asked after breaking the kiss.

"Ooh, is this a date?" she asked coyly.

"Oh, uh, not really. It's honestly just a shopping trip; the new shirt I bought is too big for me, so I need to make a return."

"Well, I'd love to go. But I'll warn you in advance: it's probably just a ploy to spend more time with you!"

Jaune chuckled. "Well, that's a risk I'm willing to take." They held hands and walked down the hallway to their next class. Five seconds later, Jaune spoke up again.

"Hey, Pyrrha?"

"Yes, Jaune?"

"I think I'm gonna pass out..."

No sooner had Jaune said those words did he collapse to the ground.

* * *

When Jaune regained consciousness, the first thing he noticed was that his entire body felt sore, like Pyrrha had worked him ragged all night, and not in the way he wanted. The second thing he noticed was the steady beeping of a heart monitor by his bedside, telling him he was in the infirmary. His eyes fluttered open, and he winced as the stark white of the walls and ceiling threatened to blind him. That was when he caught the sight of a bright red ponytail resting on his chest.

"P-Pyrrha?"

Her head sprang up at the sound of his voice. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her green eyeshadow was running like crazy. She quickly began placing gentle kisses on his face over and over again.

"You're awake!" she practically sobbed between kisses. "Thank goodness you're awake!"

"Ah, P-Pyrrha?!"

She temporarily halted the assault on his cheeks and ran her fingers through his hair. "Y-You passed out on our way to class!" she explained. "I-I rushed you to the infirmary, and the nurse said you had anorexia and you needed to be transferred to a hospital for rehabilitation and that you're lucky to be alive and you might not graduate next year and-"

"Pyrrha, Pyrrha! Slow down!" He took a deep breath. "What's this about having anorexia?"

Pyrrha swallowed. "You... you lost a lot of weight in the last two months, close to eighty pounds, according to the nurse. She... she said that if it continued for even one more day that you... you would have..."

She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably into his chest, clutching his body like a life-preserver. Jaune reached out to stroke her hair when he took a long hard look at his partially outstretched arm. In the three years since he attended Beacon Academy, he sparred with Pyrrha almost every night, giving him a tremendous amount of muscle mass. Girls who once would have never given him the time of day began to stare at his chest when they thought he wasn't looking. Nora had even taken to calling him 'Mr. Muscles' once the fruits of Pyrrha's training began to set in noticeably (it didn't have to be witty to be flattering).

But now, his arms were so thin and bony that 'noodle-Jaune' was an understatement.

His hand began to tremble as the reality of what was happening to him finally set in.

"Oh, gods... I... I can't become a huntsman like this..."

It was at that moment that their friends came into the room.

"Jaune!" shouted Nora, "you're awake!

Ren, Nora, and Team RWBY poured into the room but were careful not to crowd him. Ruby held two cups of coffee in each hand and handed one to Pyrrha. "Hey, Jauney Boy!" greeted Yang, "how're you feeling?"

Jaune didn't return her enthusiasm. "Like an ineffectual weakling... look at me, I'm practically a mummy!"

"Well," chuckled Yang, "Halloween is coming up soon, so-" Blake swiftly elbowed her in the side. "Er, not a good time..."

Jaune sighed despondently. "I spent weeks watching myself shrink to nothing. I kept hoping it would go away by itself..."

Pyrrha wiped her eyes. "Well, I'm sure all that training and those exercise regimes I piled on you didn't help."

Jaune shook his head. "It's not your fault, Pyrrha. I just wish I didn't have to stop my huntsman training to go to rehab..."

"Oh," said Weiss, "that reminds me." She handed Jaune a brochure. "Instead of some stuffy hospital, why not go to a therapeutic spa to get your strength back?"

Jaune looked over the brochure and read about the various facilities.

Then he looked at the price.

"Now, before you say anything," Weiss quickly explained when she saw Jaune's eyebrows shoot through the roof, "I intend to pay for everything. My treat."

Ruby giggled. "Nice-Weiss strikes again!"

Weiss glared. "I will dump that coffee down your shirt, and it  _ will _ burn you."

" _ Aaand _ back to square one..."

Pyrrha looked at the pamphlet with Jaune. "I think this spa is a wonderful idea. They can bring your BMI up to normal, help regrow your muscle mass, and even find out what triggered this in the first place."

"And most importantly," added Ren, "you should know that we love you, and you're not alone."

Jaune felt a tightness in his throat, and his eyes began to water. "Guys..."

Pyrrha gently kissed his forehead. "Everything's going to be okay, Jaune..."

Blake pulled out her scroll to check the time. "Hey, guys, visiting hours are almost up."

Nora clapped her hands together. "Well, I guess we should be going now."

Everyone said their goodbyes and filed out of the room one by one. Only Pyrrha stayed behind.

"Um, Pyrrha? Shouldn't you-"

"I will, just... just another minute with you, please?"

Jaune looked into her beautiful emerald eyes and knew he couldn't say no to her. Pyrrha rested her head on his chest, soothed by the gentle hum of his heartbeat. Everything was going to be okay. Jaune would go to the spa, he'd come back healthy and safe, and everything would go back to the way it was. The way things were supposed to be.

In a few short weeks, everything would go exactly as she thought it would be...

* * *

_ Six weeks later... _

* * *

Pyrrha sat alone at a table in a cafe located in downtown Vale. She gently sipped from a mocha latte, smiling to herself in anticipation for later this afternoon. Yesterday, Jaune was given full clearance to return to Beacon Academy; all that needed to be done now was to have someone go and pick him up from the spa. Naturally, Pyrrha had volunteered in a heartbeat. Her heart soared at the thought of seeing Jaune again after these long weeks; words couldn't describe how much she had missed him.

It was a sentiment shared by her teammates and Team RWBY, and they all agreed to have a Welcome Back party for their blonde noodle. They decided to hold it in their dorm at first, but they soon realized that there wouldn't be enough space to keep all the decorations.

So instead...

"Hey, Pyrrha!"

Pyrrha looked up from her drink and smiled. "Hello, Yang!"

The blonde brawler sat across from her red-haired friend. "Good news, my dad said we could hold the party at his place if we wanted."

"Really? That's so nice of him! "I'll be sure to thank him once I see him."

"So," asked Yang once she got her coffee, "what time should everyone get there?"

Pyrrha did some calculations in her head; it was an hour to travel to the spa and back, there was a two-hour graduation ceremony where everyone threw their skinny jeans into a bonfire, so...

"Five-Thirty should be alright."

"Sweet. I'm actually looking forward to having him back. Our Saturday study group hasn't been the same without Jaune."

Pyrrha hummed in agreement. Suddenly, she remembered something.

"Oh! Actually, it'll be one more week before our study groups can go back to normal."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

" _ Weeeell... _ I was planning on taking Jaune on a weekend getaway. I was hoping we could take our relationship to the next level."

Yang nearly spat out her coffee. "Holy crap, you think he's going to propose?!"

"What? No, the level before that."

"Oh, you're... going to ask him to move in with you? Aren't the dorms at Beacon rent-free?"

Pyrrha drummed her fingers on the table. "The level before  _ that _ ."

Yang sighed. "Okay, you suck at being coy. Just come out and tell me, alright?"

Pyrrha started blushing softly. "Well... you know. I want us to...  _ consummate  _ our relationship."

Yang did a double-take. "Oh... I mean, good for you, but I kinda thought that you already got that done."

The blush on Pyrrha's face got brighter. "What? W-what made you think that?"

"Well," she rubbed the back of her head, "I dunno. I guess everyone already assumed."

The blush was now as red as her hair; were people gossiping about her sex-life?!

"Wha- w-who everyone?!"

"No one, no one!" Yang tried to calm Pyrrha's nerves. "But, Pyrrha," she asked after the blush subsided, "haven't you and Jaune had your dorm to yourselves for several nights? Ren and Nora would always come over to give you two some privacy."

"Yes, well, the truth is, Jaune and I kept everything chaste. I wanted to wait until the right moment, like how I thought it would be. But to be perfectly honest, I've been missing him so much these last few weeks that I'm willing to bring that ahead of schedule."

"Well, congrats in advance!" Yang checked the time on her scroll. "I should get going. I need to buy some extra stuff for the party." She chuckled, "man, no ones gonna believe you two haven't slept together."

Pyrrha's head sprang up. "Who's no one?!"

"Um... no one?"

* * *

"I love you, Pyrrha."

"I love you too, Jaune."

The two lovers shared a quick kiss on the airship heading for Patch Island. Pyrrha laced her fingers between Jaune's, humming in contentment as her lips pressed against his. He had finally regained a healthy weight for a twenty-year-old man, as well as some muscle back. She broke the kiss and held up a white rectangular box to him.

"I got you something special," she whispered to him. She watched with glee as Jaune opened the box and stared at the new tuxedo inside.

"Wow, this is fancy! What's the occasion?"

Pyrrha kissed her cheek. "It's for this weekend. I was hoping we could check into a hotel and do some ballroom dancing. I even managed to find my red dress from prom when we were first years." She giggled. "Of course, if you want to wear the dress  _ you _ wore, I certainly won't say no."

"That definitely sounds romantic," his smile wavered, "but I'm not sure I can fit into it. Y'know, for now, at least."

"Nonsense," she replied quickly, "you've gotten your muscles back, right? I say you're back to normal!"

That earned Pyrrha a gentle kiss on her cheek. "You're such a sweetheart," he smiled, "and for the record, it was adorable the way you pretended that your bags were too heavy and you needed, and I quote, 'a strong, muscular huntsman' to help you."

Pyrrha giggled.  _ 'And Yang thinks I don't know how to be coy.' _

"I have to say," continued Jaune, "I'm really proud of myself for sticking to it and getting better. Dr. Copper would always compliment me every time I finished my rehab exercises."

"Hmm? Who's Dr. Copper?" asked Pyrrha.

"Dr. Nick Copper, one of the staff therapists," he explained. "It's part of the program, to help you find the cause of your anorexia."

"Oh, and what were his thoughts?"

"He thought I tried to starve myself as a way to put some distance between us."

There was a long, slightly uncomfortable silence following Jaune's statement. Pyrrha looked at Jaune with a mix of confusion and (to her surprise) irritation. "...And why would he think that?" she asked, keeping her voice level.

"Well," he explained, oblivious to her discomfort, "when we finally got together, you told me you wanted to wait before... y'know,  _ getting intimate _ . You also told me how miserable you were before you met me, how you kept your feelings hidden for three years, and how I pretty much saved you from despair. I mean, how could anyone live up to those expectations? Dr. Copper thought I was afraid of not being good enough for you and letting you down, so I decided to cut out the middleman and make myself unattractive."

"Jaune," she said firmly, "there is absolutely no way you could  _ ever  _ let me down. As for your weight loss, it didn't matter to me; I never even noticed."

"Well," he continued, "that's another thing. I lost eighty pounds. don't you think it's weird that you couldn't see it?"

She took a deep breath. "No," she answered tensely, "as a matter of fact, I  _ don't _ see anything weird about looking past someone's physical appearance and loving them for who they really are."

"Well, you know what Dr. Copper said?"

She forced a smile. _ "Enlighten me." _

"Well, he said you didn't realize I was anorexic because you were seeing the perfect me you've carried in your head for three years. He called it,  _ looking through love goggles _ ."

Pyrrha clenched her fists and felt her teeth gnash together. "My, how...  _ interesting _ ."

Jaune smiled, wholly unaware of Pyrrha's frustration. "Tell me about it! I didn't know seeing a therapist could be so liberating!" He kissed her cheek, and Pyrrha felt her anger dissipate, however slightly. "But, honestly, I think I need at least a  _ little  _ more time before I feel ready to go on a romantic getaway."

Pyrrha felt herself give in. "Well, if you truly think you're not up to it, we can postpone the weekend."

"Thanks, Pyrrha. That really means a lot to me." He wrapped an arm around her. "I love you, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha reached with a gloved hand to caress his cheek. "I love you, too."

The two lovers shared a gentle kiss on the airship, moaning into it softly. Jaune didn't notice the way Pyrrha's heart wasn't in it.

It was such a good performance that Pyrrha almost convinced herself nothing was wrong.

That things were everything she thought it would be.

* * *

"Ruby, will you please sit still?"

"I can't help it, Weiss! We're finally going to see Jaune again!"

Despite the Schnee heiress's eye-rolling, she understood how her team leader felt. She would sell her family fortune before admitting it, but she actually began to miss Jaune after he left. Things just hadn't been the same in his absence; Nora wasn't her bubbly self (neither was Ruby, to an extent), Pyrrha had been noticeably downcast without her blonde noodle around, and Beacon Academy just seemed... duller? Yes, Weiss concluded to herself, things were duller without Jaune around. Thankfully, it wouldn't be long before that changed for the better.

Everyone decorated Taiyang Xiao Long's living room with streamers, balloons, and a banner that read "Welcome Back, Jauney Boy!" There were various snacks on a round table, like bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers, fried mozzarella sticks, garlic pretzel dogs, and shrimp and pork egg rolls. The snacks had been Yang and Nora's idea; they both reasoned that Jaune would probably need a lot of protein after losing so much weight. However, since they never seemed to listen when the others pointed out that Jaune would more than likely have regained enough protein at the spa, they probably got it for themselves. In any case, not long after everyone arrived at the Xiao Long household, the guest of honor knocked on the door and entered.

Jaune waved to his friends. "Hi, everyone!"

He was quickly surrounded by everyone and subjected to a giant group hug. Yang ruffled his messy blonde hair. "Hey, hey, the man, the myth, the legend! Good to see ya, Jauney Boy!"

Nora got in close and caught him in a bear-hug, "we missed you so much, you big lummox!"

Everyone finally gave Jaune some room to breathe. "I have to say," observed Blake, "you really do seem to be doing much better now."

Jaune blushed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Thanks. Gosh, I never thought I'd be so missed that I'd get a welcome back party."

Ruby clapped her hands together, suddenly remembering something. "Oh! I almost forgot! Hey, dad, did you remember to buy a welcome back card for Jaune?"

The smile on Taiyang's face quickly made Ruby hate whatever was coming next. "Actually..." he began.

Yep, this was going to suck...

"...I found something even better. Hey, Jaune, right? I have a little surprise for you in my fridge."

"Oh, uh, wow, Mr. Xiao Long, you didn't have to do that."

"Just go and look," he urged.

Everyone watched as Jaune disappeared into the kitchen. Seconds later, everyone heard an electronic voice moan raspily and say,  _ "FEEEEED MEEEEE!" _ Taiyang clutched his sides as he nearly doubled over in laughter, heedless of the glares his two daughters gave him. Jaune emerged from the kitchen, laughing.

"Aw, man! That's hilarious!" he exclaimed.

Taiyang recovered. "I saw a figurine of a starving man in the store this afternoon, and I just had to buy it! Every time you open the fridge, he'll remind you that you need to eat, even if you're not feeling up to it."

"So, Jaune," began Ren, trying to change the subject, "tell us about the spa."

"Well," he began, "the first step was getting me back to a healthy weight. I had a personal trainer who helped watch my calorie intake and help gain my weight back. Oh, and there was also a professional therapist there, Dr. Nick Copper."

"Well," said Ren, "he clearly knew what he was doing. He seems to have helped you make a full recovery."

"Yeah, he really was great." He turned to Pyrrha, who had been oddly silent since entering the house.

"Doesn't Dr. Copper sound great, Pyrrha?" asked Jaune.

Something inside Pyrrha snapped.

"Oh, he's incredible. I would have thought you needed to go to a hairstylist to get  _ that  _ kind of insight."

The living room got quiet. Everyone stared at the red-haired champion in shock; the worst behavior they had seen from her was when she disdainfully regarded Cardin's racist attitude. To hear her be so casually snippy, and with Jaune, of all people...

"...Is there something you want to say to me?" asked Jaune after a moment.

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes at him. "No," she responded tersely.

Weiss tried to salvage the mood the way her mother had taught her: with alcohol. "Well, I have something _ I'd _ like to say," and she pulled an elegant, emerald green bottle with a gold-leaf wrapper and some champagne glasses. "I'd like to propose a toast to celebrate Jaune's return."

Weiss poured champagne into the glasses while Blake helped pass it around. "So, Jaune," Blake started once everyone had a full glass, "tell us more about this psychiatrist."

"Well, Dr. Copper was very empathetic because he had the same problem when he was my age. That's why he decided to specialize in young adults suffering from anorexia; because he didn't have anyone to help him get through it. He was on his own for years."

"Really?" asked Pyrrha, her voice filled with insincerity, "he didn't have a  _ girlfriend he could blame _ ?"

Nora scrambled to keep things civil. "H-Hey, Jaune! There's, uh, a plate of pizza rolls in the kitchen and a bottle of Mountain Blue in the fridge. Could you go get it for us?"

"Sure..." he said with about as much enthusiasm as announcing a trip to the dentist.

"And, again," called Yang as he made his way to the kitchen, "we're all glad to have you back! We're all calm, supportive, and not judgemental."

As soon as Jaune was out of earshot, Yang furiously whirled her head in Pyrrha's direction, her lilac eyes turning red. "What the hell is your problem, you crazy bitch?!" she whispered harshly.

"Seriously," said Ruby, "You're acting like Weiss did when she first came to Beacon. Uh, no offense, bestie."

"Oh, none taken. That was my first thought too."

Pyrrha set her drink down. "You would not believe the absolute garbage that  _ fourth-rate hack of a therapist _ has been telling Jaune!"

Blake scowled at Pyrrha. "You know what? I really don't care what he told Jaune; it's no excuse for your bad attitude this evening, and this party is about Jaune, not you."

"Blake's right," said Nora, in her rare moment of seriousness, "you need to drop whatever problem you're having and show Jaune some respect."

Suddenly, the starving figurine in the fridge went off.  _ "FEEEEED M _ -!"

Just then, there was a loud  _ CRUNCH _ followed by smaller crunches and several thuds, as if someone was jumping up and down on the figure in a rage, smashing into pieces. After a moment of silence, Jaune came out of the kitchen with the plate of pizza rolls and Mountain Blue. "Turns out, he can dish it out, but he can't take it. So, how about that toast?"

"Oh, r-right." Weiss raised a glass. "To Jaune Arc!" Everyone else raised their glass in turn. "You're not just a friend; you're like family to many people in this room. The way you touched our lives can be seen in a thousand different ways."

Pyrrha scoffed. "Unless you're looking at it through _ love goggles _ ."

**"That's enough!"** Jaune shouted as he angrily slammed his glass on the table. "I don't know why our talk on the airship pissed you off so much, but that doesn't give you the right to take it out on  _ me _ !" He took a long, deep breath through his nose. "I think you need to leave."

Pyrrha stepped back. "W-What?"

Jaune gave her a look cold enough to freeze Solitas twice over. "I want you to leave.  _ Now _ ."

Pyrrha looked around at her friends' faces, but she saw only anger and disappointment everywhere her eyes went. The message was clear: she wasn't welcome anymore. Without saying a word, she cooly set her drink down and walked out the door. Jaune quickly made for the kitchen, not wanting his friends to see the tears falling from his face; even still, Ren and Nora followed him, knowing that he would need someone to talk to. Only Team RWBY and Taiyang were left in the living room in silence until Yang gave her father a flat look.

"All you had to do was buy a card, dad..."

* * *

Pyrrha eventually found herself in Beacon's courtyard, aimlessly circling the grounds. She was in such a foul mood that she was almost surprised she didn't attract a horde of Grimm on her way to the airship. She had briefly thought about returning straight to her dorms, but the thought of sitting there, knowing that Jaune would soon accompany her, made her have second thoughts.

She almost sobbed at that thought. Jaune was her boyfriend; the idea of seeing him was supposed to make her happy, not convince her to actively avoid him...

What was happening...?

"Pyrrha?"

She turned around to see Lie Ren standing in front of her. "Oh, hello, Ren." There was a brief pause. "Is... is Jaune here?"

"No, everyone else is back at the dorms." There was another pause. "Jaune told me about the talk you had on the airship."

Pyrrha huffed. "Well, that's just  _ grand _ . My own boyfriend will talk to everyone but me."

"According to Jaune, he  _ did _ try to talk to you."

"No, he tried to  _ blame _ me. According to that overpaid, poor excuse of a therapist, the reason Jaune nearly starved himself to death was that he couldn't live up to my image of him!"

"Well..." Ren began carefully, "it  _ is  _ easy to reach that conclusion."

Pyrrha's eyes went wide in anger. "I beg your pardon?" she seethed.

"Pyrrha, please," he tried to calm her down, "bear in mind that Jaune has three years of fantasy to live up to."

"What fantasy?" she nearly shouted. "For your information, I have a perfectly realistic picture of Jaune. I love him for who he is! I have since the very beginning!"

Ren took a deep breath. "Alright, then. When was 'the very beginning' for the two of you?"

A small smile crept on Pyrrha's lips. "That was when we first met, on the day of initiation."

* * *

_ "You know what else is great? Me. Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you." _

_ Pyrrha looked at the blonde swordsman standing in front of her and... she said her name was Weiss, right? She had seen this boy once or twice around Beacon, but viewing him up close was... much different. Now that she got a good look at him, she could tell he was actually quite handsome; he was almost as tall as she was in her heels, his messy blonde hair was kind of cute, and those sapphire blue eyes were so deep and comforting that she couldn't help but get lost in them. _

_ However, judging by Weiss's irritated reaction, the white-haired girl didn't share that sentiment. "You again?" _

_ Pyrrha quickly stood between them, hoping to diffuse the situation. "Nice to meet you, Jaune!" She wore her fake smile, the one she used for interviews, photoshoots, and autograph signings. Once he recognized her, he'd probably get excited and gush over meeting her and all of that superficial- _

_ "Yeah, yeah," he pushed past her to talk to Weiss. _

_ Pyrrha stood there, dumbfounded. She couldn't remember the last time someone was so...  _ _ dismissive  _ _ of her presence. Did he... did he  _ _ not _ _ know who she was? _

_ She certainly dared to hope. _

_ "So, Weiss," he continued, "couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day." _

_ "Oh, you've  _ _ got  _ _ to be kidding me!" she exclaimed with obvious disdain. _

_ Sadly, it wasn't obvious to  _ _ everyone _ _. "Don't worry!" Jaune purred in an oily voice. "No need to be embarrassed! So, been hearing rumors about teams! I was thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?" _

_ Pyrrha moved to get his attention if only to keep Weiss from slapping the poor boy. "Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so-" _

_ "You don't say?" Pyrrha found herself on the receiving end of Jaune's gaze and suddenly felt a little warm. "Well, Hot Stuff, play your cards right, and maybe you could join up with the winning team." _

_ H-H-Hot Stuff?! Pyrrha's blush spread from her cheeks to all across her face. Was he...  _ _ flirting  _ _ with her??? In her seventeen years, no boy ever had the courage to flirt with her; they thought she was too good for them, so they never tried. But now, here was a cute boy, telling her in his own clumsy way that he thought she was attractive. _

_ Oh, yes. She  _ _ liked  _ _ that. _

* * *

"Wait, really?"

Pyrrha stopped her recount of meeting Jaune for the first time. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"What's wrong," explained Ren, "is that by that point, Jaune was a stranger to you. He rudely dismissed you to talk to Weiss, he acted obnoxious to both of you, for goodness sake, he called you a derogatory and sexist nickname, but you still wanted to give him your heart?"

"Alright,' said Pyrrha, "I was a bit smitten. What's your point?"

"My point is that your 'realistic' picture of Jaune was clouded from the start by your intense attraction to him."

Pyrrha huffed. "Fine, maybe, in the beginning, it was more infatuation than anything else. But over the years, I've learned so much about Jaune, and my love for him has only deepened. I've learned he's compassionate," she continued, "and caring. And he never gives up on a goal once he's set his mind to it."

"Oh!" she suddenly remembered. "And he's a fantastic dancer!"

* * *

_ Pyrrha sulked to herself on the dance floor, idly swirling a drink in her hand. A small part of her had known that nobody would ask her to the dance, but the reality of it had still stung nonetheless. Everywhere she looked, it was nothing but couples in love; Ren and Nora, Weiss and Neptune, Blake and... Sssuuunnn? Were they a couple? They seemed friendly at any rate. _

_ But there was no one for her, as usual. _

_ No handsome, blonde knight to sweep her off her feet and make her feel special... _

_ It was an ugly, demeaning thought that plagued her mind, but maybe she just wasn't meant to be loved... _

_ Suddenly, she heard uproarious laughter from the students behind her, even a few wolf-whistles. Turning around to see what was the matter, her eyes went wide at the most ridiculous sight she ever saw. "Jaune?" _

_ There was her partner, without an iota of shame, wearing a frilly white dress with a blue ribbon around his waist. _

_ "Eh," replied Jaune, "a promise is a promise." _

_ Promise...? Suddenly, Pyrrha remembered their conversation a few nights ago. Jaune had mentioned, in an off-handed way, that if Pyrrha ended up going stag, he'd wear a dress to the prom. At the time, she assumed he was being bitter; he was frustrated that his attempts to woo Weiss kept failing and was dismissive of Pyrrha's words of encouragement. But now, here he was, wearing an honest to goodness dress, just because he promised he would. _

_ Pyrrha smiled. Then she giggled. Before she knew it, she was doubling over in laughter at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. _

_ "Jaune!" she cried in between her fits of laughter, "you didn't  _ _ have _ _ to!" _

_ "Hey, an Arc never goes back on his word." He extended a hand to her. "Now, do you wanna stand there and laugh at me, or do  _ _ you  _ _ wanna dance?" _

_ Pyrrha's heart soared into the sky and did laps around Remnant. Her crush... no, the man she loved had asked her to dance with him! She gratefully accepted his hand, loving the warmth of his touch. "I would  _ _ love  _ _ to dance!" _

* * *

Pyrrha sighed in contentment. "Those are some of my favorite memories. I was hoping I could recreate them this weekend. And really, could you blame me? That night was perfect!" She sighed again. "I like to revisit those memories often."

Ren rubbed his shoulder. "I'm starting to think that part of you never left..."

"Again," asked Pyrrha, "could you blame me? You saw how we danced together. Our bodies moved in perfect sync!"

"Hmm, there's that word 'perfect' again."

Pyrrha fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I know what you're thinking, but just because that evening was perfect doesn't mean I've over-idealized Jaune."

"Pyrrha," he said calmly, "I heard you talking to Jaune when you first got together. You called him your 'savior.' The only higher pedestal than that is 'God.' Who could compete with that kind of image?"

"Now hold on," she explained, "I don't think you're being very fair. I'm aware that this is only one side of Jaune. I'm also mindful of his ordinary, everyday, domestic side.

* * *

_ In the twilight, Pyrrha sat outside the mess hall with her back to the wall, and her head bowed as the wind rose. A single orange maple leaf landed on the cobblestones by her feet. For the first time since she could remember, the pressure of being a four-time champion weighed down on her like nothing else. _

_ It was just an accident, everyone who saw it could tell, but that didn't make it better. Yang had just finished her match with a resounding victory and was celebrating with several fist-pumps. That was when, without any warning, Ember Celica accidentally discharged, hitting a spectator in the face. His aura had prevented any serious damage, but he still needed to be rushed to the hospital for treatment. Accident or not, the outrage had been loud enough to force General Ironwood to disqualify Team RWBY from the rest of the Vytal Tournament. _

_ It was one thing to have her sister-team forbidden to participate in the tournament, but now, it meant that Team JNPR was the only Beacon team left to compete. Normally, that wouldn’t be such a problem. There had been similar stakes in tournaments in the past. But this was different; now, there were friends, honest to goodness comrades who were counting on her not to fail them. _

_ Suddenly, the stress of carrying such a responsibility became too much, and all she wanted was to be left alone... _

_ "Hey..." _

_ Pyrrha looked up. Well, maybe not completely alone... _

_ Jaune stood above her, smiling and holding a stick of cotton candy to her. "I-It's no green goop, but I think it still might do some good." _

_ Pyrrha stared at the offered treat before hesitantly taking it. "Um, right. Thank you, Jaune..." _

_ Jaune's smile faded as he realized that he failed to cheer Pyrrha up. He sat down next to her. "You were the first person to ever believe in me, you know that?" She looked back at him as he laughed mirthlessly. "Even when I told my parents I was going to Beacon, they told me not to worry if I ended up having to move back home. How depressing is that?" _

_ "I'm sure they didn't mean-" She began but stopped mid-sentence, gasping and letting the cotton candy fall from her grasp when Jaune placed his hand over hers. _

_ "I guess... I'm just trying to say that... you've always been there for me... even when I didn't deserve it. And I can tell there's something on your mind, so... I don't know. How can I help?" _

_ Pyrrha felt herself fall in love with Jaune all over again. That sweet, handsome, gentle partner of her's was going out of his way to comfort her, just like at the dance. A wave of contentment washed over her, and she rested her head on Jaune's shoulder, closing her eyes. _

_ "You're already doing it..." _

* * *

"Are you kidding me?!"

Pyrrha flinched at Ren's sudden outburst. It was rare to see him angry. "R-Ren?"

"Even your everyday memories of him are over-idealized! I'm surprised you didn't describe him as a bare-chested, flowing-haired prince riding a noble steed!"

"Alright, fine, maybe my memories of Jaune are perfect. Have you considered the possibility that maybe Jaune simply  _ is  _ perfect?"

"That-" Ren began, but he stopped short and gave a defeated sigh. "I'm going back to the dorms." And he began to walk away.

"Ren, wait!" Pyrrha called after him, "why are you leaving?"

"Because I have nothing left to say." He took a deep breath. "You and Jaune mean almost as much to me as Nora; you're like the family I never thought I'd have again. I... I hope the two of you can work this out together." And he started to leave again.

"Wait a minute! Hold on!" Pyrrha started getting frustrated. "Could you at least help me understand something: why is everyone acting like I did something wrong?! All you proved this evening is that I love Jaune! That's all I've ever done!"

"Yes, but how did you love him? From afar. You weren't in love  _ WITH  _ him; you were in love  _ AT  _ him. But it doesn't have to be like that anymore. You have a chance to experience him in a real relationship, but you keep on resisting it. You keep clinging to your memory of him."

"No," she said in reflex, her mind reeling, "that's not true!"

Ren suddenly grabbed her shoulders. **"Pyrrha! He almost died!"** he shouted. "I almost lost one of my closest friends! He lost eighty pounds and nearly starved himself to death, and everyone in the world saw it!" He took a deep breath and used semblance to calm himself down.

"Everyone," he continued, "but you. All you ever saw was a teenage boy in a white dress."

Pyrrha's legs wobbled, and she leaned against a nearby lamp post to keep herself steady. "B-But," she began, trembling, "why would I do that? I've been placed on a pedestal.  _ I've _ been over-idealized. I know firsthand how something like that can destroy any potential bonds of friendship. Why would I suddenly do that to  _ anybody _ , let alone someone I care for deeply?"

At last, they came to it; the question of why Pyrrha was acting this way. Taking one last deep breath, Ren calmly placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe Jaune isn't the only one who's afraid he won't live up to your expectations. Maybe you're afraid too. After all, if Jaune isn't the perfect man you've made him out to be, then there's a chance that your relationship won't work out. And if that happens... not only will you lose Jaune, but you'll have wasted the last three years of your life... chasing after an illusion."

Pyrrha felt her strength leave her. She clutched Ren like a life-preserver and wept into his chest. Ren held her in his arms, stroking her back and calming her down. When Pyrrha at last finished, she looked up at Ren and caught his comforting smile. "Come on," he whispered, "let's go back to the dorm."

* * *

It was a quiet, subdued walk to their rooms. Pyrrha had finally wiped the tears from her eyes and managed to walk back without Ren having to hold her. Eventually, after stepping off the elevator, they saw Team RWBY, as well as Nora and Jaune standing in the hallway and talking. Pyrrha cleared her throat, and all eyes were suddenly fixed on her.

"H-Hello, Jaune."

"Um, hey, Pyrrha..."

For several seconds, there was nothing but an awkward silence surrounding the hallway. Suddenly, Ren spoke.

"Nora, it's still fairly early in the evening. Would you like to go to town and see a movie?"

Nora was unusually tame in her response. "Sure thing, Ren." She took his hand, and they both disappeared into the elevator.

Yang coughed into her fist. "So, uh, since we didn't get a chance to eat at the party, who wants to go to the steakhouse for dinner?"

Weiss shrugged. "Why not. My blood has been flying through my arteries lately. I really should do something to slow it down."

Both Blake and Ruby agreed to go and entered their dorm to get ready. Jaune and Pyrrha stood in the hallway in silence before Pyrrha spoke up.

"Jaune? I'm so sorry for how I acted this evening. I was rude and disrespectful, and I ruined what was supposed to be a happy occasion for all of us." She sniffed, "I'm sorry that I hurt you..."

She suddenly felt a pair of strong, comforting arms encircle her waist and back. Jaune gently nuzzled her cheek with his. "Apology accepted," he whispered.

She returned the hug and pressed her lips to his cheek. Jaune eventually broke the hug but held her hands in his. "You know, whenever I had free time in the spa, I would practice a new song on my guitar. Want to hear it?"

Pyrrha smiled at him. "That sounds grand, Jaune."

But as Jaune entered his room to retrieve his guitar from under his bed, Pyrrha stopped in the doorway, and she came to an important decision.

"Actually, Jaune? I think I'm going to pass on the guitar."

"Oh, it's really no trouble," he responded as Team RWBY began to emerge from their room.

"Oh, I know," said Pyrrha. "It's just that... I don't really care for your music."

Team RWBY stared in fascinated horror, and Jaune looked like someone ran over his puppy. "W-What?" he whispered.

"Well," said Pyrrha, "you're not the best musician in the world. In fact, you're not very good at playing the guitar. At all. I'd go so far as to say that you're a bad musician."

"...Time to go," said Yang in a tiny voice. One by one, Team RWBY left without saying a word. Except for Weiss, who took a brief moment to clasp her hands together in gratitude.

"Thank you so much, Pyrrha!" she whispered before running off to catch up with her team.

Pyrrha sighed and closed the door. She turned to face Jaune. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not alright!" he shouted. "How could I be alright after that horrible thing you said to me?!"

Pyrrha stood like a deer in the headlights, completely at a loss of how to proceed. "I-I'm sorry, Jaune. I... just want to show you I see you the way you really are."

Jaune was unmoved. "And who I am is a crappy musician, is that it?"

"Jaune, that's not fair. I thought this was what you wanted?"

"Well, it still hurts! I still have feelings, you know! You really could have handled that better."

Pyrrha threw her hand in the air. "That's it! I give up! I will never know what it is you want from me! Tch, I guess that's one more thing we have in common."

Jaune's eyes went wide with anger. "Oh, so now I'm dense?!"

"Jaune, it took a semester and a half for you to realize that Weiss wasn't interested in you, it took three years for you to realize I was in love with you, and you're only just now realizing that I didn't like your guitar!"

"Well," snorted Jaune, "at least now I know that you have to have a crush on someone to stop acting like a doormat!"

_ "A doormat?!" _ she nearly shrieked.

Jaune scoffed. "I'm surprised you're not covered in footprints half the time."

"You know what," growled Pyrrha, "I think I'm just going to study in the library for the rest of the night!" And she made for the door.

"Fine!" Jaune shouted back, "the peace and quiet will spare you the hell that's my music!"

Without looking back, Pyrrha slammed the door behind her.

Not two seconds later, she rushed back into the room, nearly in tears.

"Jaune!" she cried, "I'm so sorry! I love you so much!"

They embraced, and she grasped his hands in hers. "I swear I didn't mean any of those things I said!"

"Yes, you did, though!" he gently squeezed her hands. "And I meant it too. You're too nice for your own good, and people take advantage of you."

"Well... you're too old to wear onesie pajamas to bed!"

Jaune failed to keep a straight face. "Your perfume always suffocates me."

She ran a finger through his blonde locks. "Your messy hair makes you look like an overgrown twelve-year-old." She smiled in spite of herself.

His hand slowly ran up her arms. "Your pajamas make you look like someone's prudish grandma." His face inched closer to hers.

Her hands ran over his broad chest. "I hate how you can wear dresses better than me," she whispered.

He reached up to touch her cheek. "You apologize way too much." It was an even softer whisper.

Their noses touched. "You're too tall..."

His heart hammered like a war drum beneath his chest. "So are you..."

"Jaune..." she whispered.

Their lips connected, and an explosion of passion erupted from their souls. Their kiss was forceful on both sides, causing them to stumble into Jaune's bed with Pyrrha on her back, pinned down by her boyfriend, who moved the kiss to her neck. She moaned loudly and activated her semblance, removing Jaune's armor and sliding a gloved hand up his hoodie to feel his muscular chest. He responded by loosening the strings holding up her corset until their hold on her chest began to relax. She finally managed to lift his hoodie over his head, and he did the same with her corset; they embraced and ran their lips over everything they could find, wanting nothing more than to feel that delicious skin-on-skin contact.

Pure bliss didn't even come close to describing how wonderful they both felt.

* * *

The next morning, Pyrrha sat at the cafeteria table while Jaune went to get his breakfast. There was a serene smile on her face as she absentmindedly stirred her coffee and stared at nothing. Her teammates and Team RWBY soon joined her.

"Morning, Pyrrha!" greeted Nora. She didn't respond.

"So," asked Ren, "did you and Jaune make up last night?"

Again, Pyrrha didn't answer, though she did look in their direction with the same content smile on her face, blinking slowly. Yang stared at Pyrrha, studying her expression. It was the same look Blake had on her face the first time they-

"Oh! Yeah," chuckled Yang, "you two sure 'made up' alright!"

Pyrrha, who usually preferred to keep such details private, did not attempt to dissuade Yang. Instead, she refocused her gaze on Jaune, who had a similar smile on his face as he selected his food from the line. He eventually returned to the table and placed a chaste kiss on her lips, which she gratefully returned. Last night was, without question, the happiest night of her life, and there were unspoken promises of similar nights in the future. There were so many things that made her heart soar with bliss when she and Jaune made love for the first time, but one aspect of their lovemaking stood head and shoulders above the others.

It wasn't  _ anything  _ like how she thought it would be.

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, lad. Writing Arkos where the relationship is shown to have issues is HARD. I eventually had to borrow from two connecting episodes of Frasier (of all things) to make this. Hopefully, you all found it enjoyable!


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